NCSF in the News!

NCSF Steps Up for Detroit NCSF is there to help you when you need it. Just ask the Detroit BDSM community, who recently came under fire from a local news affiliate. The NBC Channel 4 Defenders were out to get a sensational story on Robert Bashara, whose wife was murdered in January, 2012. Since Bashara's BDSM activities had become public, the Defenders took concealed cameras in to a local BDSM party to take photographs of people while they were playing. Dateline NBC was going to air a show later that week about Bashara that included his BDSM activities, so there was no possibility of killing the story. The situation was further acerbated by a member of the local community who gave an interview to the news stating that she had seen Bashara at one of the local BDSM parties at the VFW Hall in Lincoln Park. The morning of Tuesday, May 8th, NCSF started receiving phone calls from people who were recognizable in the promotional clip. The story was going to air at 11pm that night. NCSF Spokesperson Susan Wright immediately contacted the news station to convince them to adequately blur the images of the people they had photographed without permission. She also coordinated a write-in campaign from those who were recognizable, and communicated directly with several dozen local community members and leaders. The added pressure of outraged letters from the community convinced the reporters to include positive sound bites about BDSM that Susan provided. They also changed the title of the piece from "Dungeons of Debauchery" to "Bob Bashara's Alternative Lifestyle." The images that were recognizable were removed from the website and the promotional clips that were released later in the day were much more blurred. The news segment also contained images that were unrecognizable. The following week, on May 19th, NCSF hosted a full day's schedule of events at the VFW in Lincoln Park. NCSF Chairperson Leigha Fleming ran town hall style meeting for the local BDSM community leadership from 2pm-4pm. The leadership of more than 20 groups was represented. Leigha gave NCSF's workshop on how to protect your groups/events for local community leaders. From 4-6 PM an open town hall for everyone in the community was held so people could get their questions answered and discuss ways to further protect the BDSM community and to promote education of those outside our community. Leigha also gave the NCSF…

At the recent PANTHEON OF LEATHER XX awards held August 15th in Los Angeles, the NCSF received the award for "Large Non Profit Organization of the Year". Yay NCSF! Full list of Pantheon of Leather XX Award Recipients

NCSF Condemns the Atlanta Police Department's Raid on the Eagle September 15, 2009 - On September 10th, the Atlanta Eagle was raided by local police who used excessive force and voiced anti-gay slurs while handcuffing 62 patrons and 8 employees, forcing them to lie face-down on the floor for over an hour. The strong use of force included the presence of the "Red Dog unit" which typically deals with crimes such as gang violence. Atlanta Police Chief Richard Pennington held a press conference yesterday afternoon stating that the gay leather bar was raided because of anonymous complaints that came through the mayor's office. One undercover officer stated in a September 11th report following the raid that it was the "conclusion of a several week investigation involving indecency and the club was providing adult entertainment without the proper permits to do so." "It's a clear violation of the civil rights of those who were detained without cause," says Susan Wright, NCSF Spokesperson. "Instead of making an arrest at the time of the alleged offense, the Atlanta vice squad spent many hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayer's money to raid the gay leather bar and persecute Atlanta citizens." NCSF demands a full probe into the alleged misconduct and the allocation of resources by the Atlanta police department. NCSF also joins state and local representatives in urging anyone present the night of the arrests to step forward and file a formal complaint. Please contact NCSF for additional assistance to ensure that this matter is investigated in an open process. A rally on Sunday at the Eagle drew a large presence in support of the victims by the LGBT community. Another rally is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, September 19, 2009. The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF) is committed to creating a political, legal, and social environment in the United States that advances the equal rights of consenting adults who practice forms of alternative sexual and relationship expression. NCSF advances the rights and advocates for consenting adults in the SM-Leather-Fetish, swing, and polyamory communities. We pursue our vision through direct services, education, advocacy, and outreach in conjunction with our partner organizations to directly benefit these communities. To contact our media spokesperson, Susan Wright, (917) 848-6544 To contact our office directly: (410) 539-4824

NCSF Statement on Professional Dominatrices in New York February 11, 2009 NCSF has been contacted by over a dozen concerned members of the BDSM community in New York about the arrests of dozens of professional Dominatrices in Manhattan that started in early 2008. The pro-Domme community in New York City, which has been a vibrant part of the BDSM community for decades, has been ravaged by these prosecutions for prostitution and for promoting prostitution, resulting in the closure of a number of pro-Domme houses. NCSF contacted the Manhattan DA's office in order to clarify what sort of "for-pay" BDSM activities are considered legal in New York State. On February 5th, Susan Wright, along with outside counsel, met with ADA Leroy Frazer and Lisa Friel, head of the Sex Crimes Unit, to get their legal opinion. Pro-Dommes have traditionally considered their BDSM-for-pay to be legal. One case decided by a local misdemeanor court, People v. Georgia A., 163 Misc.2d 634 (Crim. Ct. Kings Co. 1994), supports this position, holding that "sado-masochistic acts such as domination, foot licking, spanking and submission" are not "sexual conduct" prohibited by the prostitution statute. However, that decision is not binding even on other misdemeanor courts, and Ms. Friel described it as "not worth the paper it was written on." Also, as stated in Georgia A.: "The term sexual conduct is not defined in the statute but has since been described in various cases. That conduct includes acts of masturbation, homosexuality, sexual intercourse, or physical contact of the person's clothed or unclothed genitals, buttocks or a woman's breast. ( People v Block, 71 Misc 2d 714 [1972].)" According to ADA Frazer, their office does not make prosecution of pro-Dommes a priority. However, according to their interpretation of the law, any form of "payment in exchange for touching in an intimate place either over clothing or nude" would constitute prostitution. This includes any touching of the genitals, anus, and breasts. Under Georgia A, certain BDSM activities such as humiliation, role-play, foot worship, D/s, service activities, and bondage were found to be exempt from the prostitution statute, as long as no other sexual activities were involved. Ms. Friel opined Georgia A is based on a misunderstanding of the scope of the prostitution statute and that "sexual conduct" should be defined as what is arousing to the participants, not what is arousing to the outside "vanilla" observer. Therefore, activities such as…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Susan Wright, 917-848-6544 or Miriam Axel-Lute,
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
For more details: www.sexies.org 2008 Sex-Positive Journalism Awards Now Seeking EntriesNationally known journalists and sex-positive advocates to judge "Sexies" November 5, 2007 - To hear some people tell it, all of "the media" is a degenerate, sex-drenched affair. But although there's plenty of talk about the sex lives of celebrities and a willingness to use a scandal to sell a paper, when you get into the content of actual news stories, things often take a turn for the Puritanical: Soccer moms' fabricated allegations about kids being exposed to nudity in a hotel hosting a swingers conference get printed as fact and never retracted. Religious minorities are assumed to speak for all religious Americans, or even all Americans, when it comes to whether "abstinence" should be the teen sex-ed gold standard. Usual standards of fairness and objectivity fall prey to reporters and editors' squeamishness. In response to this state of affairs, the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, the Center for Sex and Culture, Babeland, and journalist Miriam Axel-Lute are launching the 2008 Sex-Positive Journalism Awards (the "Sexies") to promote fair, accurate, and non-sensationalized coverage of sexual topics. The awards are currently accepting entries that meet both high journalistic standards and the Sexies awards criteria (attached below). "For the past decade, the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom has dealt with media reports that include sensationalized and false information about sexual issues," says Susan Wright, NCSF spokesperson. "These articles cause harm by encouraging discrimination and persecution of adults who engage in consensual sexual expression. NCSF is proud to support the Sexies and sex-positive journalism in America." "The media's frequent failure to apply balanced journalistic standards to sex-related topics affects real people's lives," says Carol Queen, PhD, co-founder of the Center for Sex and Culture. "A sensationalistic perspective can turn neighbors against each other or make it hard for someone accused of a sex-related offense to get a fair trial. It also means that too many of us worry about whether we're 'normal,' and don't realize there are sex-positive communities, sources of information, and professionals out there. Just as in the political arena, when the press does not do its job, there is real fallout." The winners of the Sex-Positive Journalism Awards will be chosen by an outstanding panel of judges, who have expertise in both journalism and sex-positive advocacy: Dan Savage, author…

NCSF is proud to produce a limited supply of 10th Anniversary pins. Only a 100 of these specially designed 10th Anniversary pins will be produced, and they're already selling fast! Are you a pin collector? Do you wear your leather vest proudly, showing off your many club affiliations? Then you MUST have this very special pin.

August 27, 2007 - NCSF proud to be the only group in the country with a national mission committed to changing the political, legal and social environment for those involved with the BDSM, swinging and polyamory communities. NCSF's six programs have directly helped thousands of practitioners, businesses and groups. Four of NCSF's programs began with the founding of NCSF in 1997: the Media Outreach Project, Media Updates, Incident Response, and the Legal Advocacy program. NCSF's Incident Response team is directed by Leigha Fleming. Over 700 individuals, groups, attorneys, prosecutors, and businesses contact NCSF for help every year because of persecution or discrimination. NCSF assisted both International Mr. Leather and Kink.com this year, continuing its decade-long practice of fighting religious political extremists and performing outreach to local communities and authorities. NCSF's Media Outreach Program provides sound bites and tactics for anyone dealing with the media. Spokesperson Susan Wright regularly gives media trainings and conducts over 60 interviews every year, influencing the coverage of alternative sexuality issues. The NCSF Media Updates, created by Keith Richie, feature articles about BDSM, swinging and polyamory, and provides contact information to write letters to the editor in order to influence how editorial decisions are made in the future. NCSF's Legal Advocacy team is led by John, with pro bono lawyers researching current laws and creating Amicus Briefs to submit to courts in cases involving obscenity prosecutions, "consent is not a defense to assault", and right to freedom of assembly. NCSF's Communications Decency Act lawsuit with Barbara Nitke made history by challenging the Miller standard of obscenity as it applies to the Internet. NCSF took custody of their newest program, the Kink Aware Professionals (KAP) free referral list, from Race Bannon in 2006. NCSF created a new KAP brochure and is actively recruiting additional psychotherapeutic, medical, and legal professionals who are knowledgeable about and sensitive to diverse expressions of sexuality. The Education Outreach Program (EOP) is run under the Institute for 21st Century Relationships: The Foundation of NCSF. ITCR supports the freedom of consenting adults to discover and to practice the intimate relationship structure that best meets their emotional and human needs. The EOP is designed to educate law enforcement officials, and to educate constituents about the risks of selective enforcement and how to minimize the risk of becoming a target. NCSF has published a number of pieces of literature for this program and has trained a…

A letter from NCSF to the swing club community explaining why NCSF is important to your issues, and how we are furthering those goals. Written and signed by NCSF Board member Doug Wilson. April 27, 2007 Dear Club Owners, I am writing to you on behalf of the lifestyle organizations and businesses affiliated with the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF). I am writing to urge you to join the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF). Here’s why. The last decade has brought about some major changes in society. The Internet has made access to all alternative lifestyles, including the swing lifestyle and its venues much easier and the numbers of participants has been growing steadily. Our lifestyle is emerging into the public consciousness. How we are perceived during this critical time will affect how the public in general, and legislatures and law enforcement in particular, relate to us for a long time. We need the kind of professional advocacy that NCSF can provide. And if we don’t have it, we will continue to be at risk. Local authorities. We need NCSF because there are still very negative attitudes towards us by local authorities in many communities around the country. Occasionally participants, club owners, managers, etc… are arrested and their names are put in the paper, and their careers and personal lives are ruined. One of the things NCSF does best is to approach such communities proactively, when trouble is coming but before it has arrived, to persuade the authorities that their actions are either improper or overzealous. NCSF also helps in dealing with the aftermath of such situations. Legislatures. The FCC has raised fines for violations of its decency code, and we’ve all read about the huge fines imposed on Howard Stern and on the broadcasters of Janet Jackson’s “costume failure.” The “Phoenix ordinance” which would prohibit any on-premise sexual activity is still circulating in various cities, and is a potential threat wherever people share sex, even in private residences. Proposals for tightening “lewd and lascivious” laws are another threat. It will be difficult to predict all of the threats that will come at us, but the odds are there will be some major ones. Whether in a city council, a government agency, a state legislature, or the Congress of the United States, NCSF needs to be there advocating for the interests of alternative lifestyles. National image. In recent…

November 11, 2006 - Next week the NCSF and ITCR will be represented at the 19th Annual "Creating Change" conference, the largest annual convening of LGBT activists in North America! This groundbreaking conference works to provide LGBT activists and their allies with the information, tools and technical assistance necessary to successfully mobilize our local communities, to combat homophobia and to strengthen our political power in the fight to preserve sexual freedom. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Creating Change Conference Kansas City, MO Wednesday November 8 b Sunday November 12, 2006 Has Your Voice Been Heard?? Next week the NCSF and ITCR will be represented at the 19th Annual "Creating Change" conference, the largest annual convening of LGBT activists in North America! This groundbreaking conference works to provide LGBT activists and their allies with the information, tools and technical assistance necessary to successfully mobilize our local communities, to combat homophobia and to strengthen our political power in the fight to preserve sexual freedom. Why should you join us? For an incredible weekend filled with educational workshops, capacity building sessions, community-based caucuses, networking opportunities and fun social gatherings that promote a collaborative and issue-based approach to social justice organizing. Make sure that YOUR VOICE IS HEARD in the dialogue about public policy, human rights, same-sex marriage, hate crimes legislation, sexual health education, employment discrimination and coalition-building in movements for social justice. With four days of hands-on and discussion based programming, you’ll be sure to walk away from the weekend with your head spinning, your batteries recharged and your passion for activism renewed. Classes of interest to our constituency base can be found in (and beyond) an entire "topic area" dedicated to issues of and pertaining to Sexual Freedom, Sexual Politics and Leather, and include: - Hot Fantasies and Political Nightmares: A Leather Community Primer - A Dialogue with Youth: Talking about Sex and Sexual Freedom - Understanding Sexual Freedom as an LGBTQI or Leather Political Leader - Building a Progressive Queer Movement in the Time of the Right - Talking about Sex in the Disabled Community - Sex, Sexuality and Spirituality for Communities of Color - Public Pillow Talk - Sexual Freedom as a Fundamental Human Right - Talking about Sex with Bisexuals - It's About Gay Sex: Strategies for Working With A Radical Right Obsessed With Gay Sex Practices - Effective Defense/Creative Offense: Mastering The Legislative Process - Polyamory/Non-Monogamy Caucus - Sash…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE National Coalition for Sexual Freedom NCSF adopts Kink Aware Professionals February 10, 2006 - Race Bannon and NCSF announce the transfer of management of Kink Aware Professionals to NCSF. The National Coalition of Sexual Freedom is proud to continue and grow the Kink Aware Professionals program which was founded and has been managed by Race Bannon for many years. To find a Kink Aware professional, go to: www.ncsfreedom.org and click on “Resources” then Kink-Aware Professionals. "I'm glad Kink Aware Professionals is safely in the hands of an organization that has already proven to serve our communities well," said Race Bannon. "With the acquisition of the KAP web site NCSF continues to prove that they're always looking for additional ways to help us all pursue the sex life of our choosing." NCSF's mission includes education and outreach to the medical, psychological and legal communities. By building a network of sexually aware professionals we can both support the professionals who respect our values as well as encourage other professionals to learn about our issues. "An extension of that mission," said NCSF Chairperson Vivienne Kramer, "is helping our members and the community at large find competent legal, psychological, and medical services from professionals who are aware of their adult expressions of sexual freedom, and not only donbt hold it against them, but can help with the special issues and needs that our actions entail." One might ask why a Kink Aware Professional is needed as opposed to your "normal" professional. There are many circumstances where a doctor or therapist might misdiagnose a patient who has bruises as an abuse victim and then be legally required to fulfill police reporting requirements. Likewise, a lawyer working on a divorce or child custody case might need an understanding of a master/slave dynamic, or a swinging relationship, in order to correctly handle these issues. There are still doctors who believe gays should be "cured" and that an interest in sadomasochism is in and of itself, pathological. Likewise polyamorists who seek relationship counseling from unaware counselors sometimes get lectured, judged, and misdiagnosed as sexually and emotionally immature, neurotically fearful of commitment, or sexually addicted. While many doctors, lawyers, etc. may have passing knowledge of alternative forms of sexual expression, their education is often incomplete. A patient dealing with a difficult life situation deserves a professional who is well versed with the issues that arise from…

NEW YORK CITY (December 11, 2001) The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF), a national civil liberties organization, and Barbara Nitke, an acclaimed New York City artist who operates her own Web site (www.BarbaraNitke.com), today filed a court challenge that aims to overturn the last remaining Internet censorship provision of the flawed Communications Decency Act.

WASHINGTON, DC (February 14, 2002) The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF), a national organization committed to protecting freedom of sexual expression among consenting adults, today a launched a new initiative that provides support to sexual minority groups under attack by radical right wing groups.

On July 10, 2002, the opening reception of Barbara Nitke: Twenty Years was attended by 300 people at Art @ Large. The Nitke show can be viewed until August 3rd at Art @ Large, 630 Ninth Ave, No. 707, New York, NY. On July 10, 2002, the opening reception of Barbara Nitke: Twenty Years was attended by 300 people at Art @ Large. The Nitke show can be viewed until August 3rd at Art @ Large, 630 Ninth Ave, No. 707, New York, NY. The exhibit coincides with the filing for a preliminary injunction in the Barbara Nitke and the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom vs. John Ashcroft, a landmark lawsuit that seeks to overturn the federal law limiting free speech on the Internet. The lawsuit claims that the Communication Decency Act's definition of obscenity is so broad and vague that it inhibits the discussion of sexual issues on the Internet among adults. "My show "Twenty Years" is an exploration of sexual relationship and desire which began on the sets of porn movies in the early eighties, and has focused for the last decade on a loving view of SM," says Nitke, who filed the lawsuit because she is concerned her photographs could be deemed illegal under the law. "I think that adults who want to see my Web site should have the right to visit and look at it." Hailed by The Village Voice for her quest "to find humanity in marginal sex," Nitke has gained worldwide attention for her powerful photographs chronicling relationships between consenting adults engaged in sadomasochistic activities. A professional photographer since 1982, Nitke is president of The Camera Club of New York and serves on the faculty of the New York School of Visual Arts. She operates a Web site (www.barbaranitke.com), which showcases her photographs. "We've chosen to feature Barbara's photographs for the trust they evoke, the desire they express, and the beauty they convey," stated Pet Silvia, manager, Art @ Large. "For an artist to stand in the public eye, with her legal name, and challenge an unconstitutional law, takes a nerve and tenacity not often witnessed in a lifetime." Art @ Large Summer Hours: Tues - Fri: 1 - 6pm Weekends by Appointment 630 Ninth Ave, No. 707, New York NY Photographs of the opening available on request. Contact
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
A Project of NCSF and NCSF Foundation, Inc.

September 30, 2002 - Responding to concerns that it was prohibiting franchisees from hosting events for "sadomasochism enthusiasts," the Cendant Corporation Hotel Group, the world's largest hotel franchisor, has assured the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom that it will honor the right of franchisees to host the events of their choice.

The religious extremist organization, Concerned Women for America, continues to attack hotels that host SM events. CWA has a petition up now targeting IML that will be sent to their host hotels (CWA Petition). An NCSF volunteer has kindly offered to head up the NCSF Hotel Outreach Project to counter their sensationalized rhetoric by gathering data and supporting evidence that SM events aren't dangerous and can be profitable for businesses. We need you to contact your host hotel now!

About Incident Reporting & Response

The NCSF Incident Reporting & Response (IRR) program provides assistance to individuals and groups within the alternative sexual expression communities who become victimized because of SM, leather, fetish, or swing practices.

Program Goals: NCSF's Incident Reporting & Response was created to provide assistance to individuals and groups within the BDSM, swinging and poly communities who are experiencing discrimination or needs assistance because of their interests and activities.